1. Fileld of the invention
The invention relates to a collar for supporting an element, such as a cable or a pipe, on a support. Such a collar can be used, for example, for supporting one or more electric cables, or a pipe carrying a fluid.
2. Discussion of the background
More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, such a collar can be used in an aeroplane engine for fixing to the inside of the nacelle casing the electric cables connecting the power module to the computing module of the thrust reversers, which are used to brake the aeroplane during the landing operation.
In practice, these modules are two very heavy boxes 4 (generally weighing more than 14 kg each) separated by a distance of a few tens of centimetres and mounted on dampers 6 to the inside of the nacelle casing 2. The dampers 6 allow movement of the boxes 4 relative to the casing 2 with an amplitude of a few millimetres (between 5 and 10 mm) in all directions.
The electric cables connecting these boxes 4 are held together inside a harness 8 which has a diameter of a few tens of millimetres, and generally passes around elements of the thrust reverser (an actuator 9 in the example illustrated). As the harness 8 cannot be left free to move inside the casing 2 (because of the risk of damage to it or to parts in the vicinity, or the risk of disconnection, etc.), a supporting collar is used.
As they move about independently of each other, the boxes 4 exert forces on the harness that can be directed in any direction of space X, Y and Z, that is to say axially in direction X as well as radially in directions Y and Z.
The supporting collars used hitherto take the form of a fastening strap passed around the harness and fixed to the casing. These collars have been found to be unsuitable because they prevent all movement of the harness, which not only hampers the freedom of movement of the boxes but is also the cause of significant stresses in the fastening strap which can damage the harness.